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The Cushing and White Records
contain ships' papers, correspondence, accounts, receipts, and an account book
relating to the shipping and privateering activities of this Boston, Massachusetts
firm.

Collection Number:

MH 22

Series List

SERIES I. Ships' PapersSERIES II. Other

Scope and Content Note

The Cushing and White Records contain ships' papers,
correspondence, accounts, receipts, and an account book relating to the shipping and
privateering activities of this Boston, Massachusetts firm. Although the records
include items from 1773 to 1852, the bulk of the collection concerns privateering
during the American Revolution, 1775 to 1783. The collection has been divided into
two series.

Series I. Ships' Papers is composed of accounts,
receipts, correspondence, inventories, and crew lists. The papers of the ships Alexander and General
Hancock, and brigs Diana and Reconciliation contain inventories of ships' stores and
appurtenances. The papers of the ship Alexander,
schooner Run Fast, and sloop Satisfaction include crew lists. The most complete documentation of
privateering activities is found in the papers of the ship Minerva and sloop Satisfaction. Of
particular interest in this section is a bill of sale for a portion of the ship Pilgrim, which was purchased by the Salem merchant,
Benjamin Waters, and a letter to Cushing and White from Tristram Dalton concerning
the sale of a portion of the sloop Satisfaction and the
settlement of his accounts, dated March 18, 1778.

Series II. Other contains some general
correspondence, a cash book, and accounts and receipts. There is a lengthy letter to
John Cushing from William Blodgett which contains an account of his journey from
Providence, Rhode Island to Camp Middle Brook, dated January 4, 1779. The cash book
includes the accounts of a number of privateer and merchant vessels. Most of the
accounts and receipts are related to purchases of stores for the privateers. Also
included is a copy of Privateer Instructions, a manuscript copy of the orders issued
to privateers by the Continental Congress in 1776.

Historical Sketch

Cushing and White was a shipping firm based in Boston,
Massachusetts. The materials in the collection suggest that the firm was headed by
John Cushing and Samuel White. The firm operated a number of privateers during the
American Revolutionary War.

Index Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in Philcat. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons,
or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Blodgett, William

Cushing, John, 1744-1823

Dalton, Tristram, 1738-1817

Waters, Benjamin, 1720 or 21-1784

White, Samuel, 1770-1809

Alexander (Ship)

Betsey (Schooner)

Diana (Brig)

General Hancock (Ship)

General Putnam (Ship)

Jane (Ship)

Margaret (Brig)

Minerva (Ship)

New Duckenfield (Ship)

Pilgrim (Ship)

Pinson (Brig)

Reconciliation (Brig)

Royal George (Ship)

Run Fast (Schooner)

Satisfaction (Sloop)

Syren (Brig)

Tracy (Ship)

Weymouth (Ship)

William (Ship)

Account books

Crew lists

Dueling

Privateering

Shipping--Ireland

Shipping--Maine--Portland

Shipping--Maine--York

Shipping--Massachusetts--Boston

Shipping--New Hampshire--Portsmouth

Shipping--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia

Slavery

Trials

Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

This collection is open for research use.

Administrative Information

Copyright

Requests for permission to publish material from the collection must be submitted in
writing to the Manuscript Librarian in the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex
Museum.